1. Field of the Invention
A penile traction device is disclosed. A foam pad surrounds the penile shaft and, through a flexible support means, applies a traction force created by weights. A relief device is also included for removing all or a portion of the force.
2. Description of Related Art
Operations necessitated by diseases, such as Peyronie's disease are frequently performed and penile enlargement operations, often referred to as augmentation phalloplasty, are becoming popular with many men. These procedures involve removal and/or modification of body material. In one procedure, fat and fascia are removed from the gluteal area and transferred to the penile shaft. As an alternative, dermis and fat are removed from the fold area at the bottom of the buttock and transferred to one or both sides of the penile shaft. As much as one-third of the total penile length can be inside the body and not visible. A portion, up to about two inches, of the penile shaft, can be made visible by cutting or severing the ligament that connects the base of the penis to the pubic bone. After the ligament is severed, a portion of the penile shaft, previously out of view, can be seen. The visible length of the penile shaft can also be increased by cutting the fold or web of skin that is attached to the base of the penile shaft or a Z-plasty can be performed there to extend or loosen the supporting web of skin in that area.
When one of these operations or procedures is performed, the healing process includes scarring and other contracture in the area the surgery was performed. To prevent contraction, weights are attached to the penile shaft. This use of weights prevents contraction and, to some extent, is believed to assist visible extension of the penile shaft. The principal process now used to attach these weights is to thread a rubber tube through the weights with the rubber tube placed around the penile shaft to apply the weight along the penile shaft, stretching the shaft and applying tension to any healing sutures made to or above the shaft. Even though the tube and weights are only applied for periods of about ten minutes, the tube tends to block blood flow. This "strangles" the lower portion of the penile shaft and the action of applying weight in a relatively small area restricting blood flow and pinching is painful and medically dangerous.
The attachments of weights to body parts for traction and exercise has been in use for a century with J. Monestier, U.S. Pat. No. 19,814, issued Mar. 30, 1858, and G. Tiktin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,883, issued Jan. 18, 1983, and P. Carter, U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,291, issued Dec. 24, 1991, examples. The attachment of sheaths, for urine collection, prosthetic devices, prophylactic devices, sexual aid devices, etc., is common with C. Rogers, U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,638, issued Feb. 4, 1975, and M. Hrubetz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,074, issued Nov. 20, 1990 and R. Erickson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,629, issued Feb. 9, 1993, examples. The use of adjustable weights and attachments for traction are common with P. Carter above, and N. Yimauchi. U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,031, issued Aug. 7, 1973 and R. Repice, U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,726, issued May 27, 1997, examples.